In December 2008, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that the current system for changing rookie pay would not change until 2011.

Apparently, there's been a calendar malfunction at 280 Park Avenue.

Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal reports that the league has proposed the implementation of a rookie wage scale for the April 2010 draft. She also reports that the NFLPA has responded with a proposal that would change the structure of the rookie deals beginning in 2010, too.

The league's proposal, per Mullen, would pay players a fixed amount based on draft slot, with a "significant" portion of the savings being distributed to retired players. The NFLPA responded Tuesday with a proposed three-year limit on rookie contracts, along with a two-year extension to the current labor deal and a commitment by the owners to match the payment to the retired players arising from the contribution flowing from the savings in rookie pay.

This is part of what the owners wanted, but I was under ther impression that even more important was reducing the percentage of the gate that players received. I am holding my breath on that. The new leader of the players association voiced shortly after taking over that he could see movement on the rookie salaries. While good to see not very surprising. I was hoping to see 2010 as an uncapped year for Houston.

This is a good thing, but as GP says, let's wait and see how it's actually carried out. By the time it goes through the players union, NFL management, the lawyers and God knows who else, there's no telling what it will look like. Kind of like getting a bill through Congress and the ole camel is a horse designed by a committee type of thing.